The suspect Fradrick Nyamula
* The CCTV footage went viral on social media showing Nyamula continuously surveying the vehicle
* After he parked his Honda Fit next to the X-Trail
* He tried to open the passenger door but was unsuccessful
* His accomplice circled around the car park before parking a vehicle away from the X-Trail
By Natasha Muthete, MANA & Duncan Mlanjira, Maravi Express
Lilongwe Police Station has arrested Fradrick Nyamula, 39, who was caught on CCTV camera footage at Gate Way Mall car park in Lilongwe surveying a car belonging to a customer who was cashing huge amount of money in a bank.
Advertisement
As the bank customer was driving off, the suspect and an accomplice followed him as he drove off in his red Nissan X-Trail.
Lilongwe Police public relations officer, Hastings Chigalu confirmed the development, saying the incident happened on January 4, 2023 when the victim withdrew K6.5 million from the bank at the Gateway Mall.
“The suspect, Nyamula, and his accomplice Khonya Makina, who were using a Honda Fit vehicle, followed the person who was driving the red X-Trail vehicle after spotting him in the bank to have withdrawn a large amount of money,” Chigalu said.
The police publicist further said the criminals cautiously followed the unsuspecting victim up to City Mall where Nyamula was dropped to accomplish the mission while Makina drove close to Mbowe Filling Station to wait for his accomplice.
Advertisement
“After successfully stealing the bag containing the cash, the suspects went to Mchesi where a certain amount was left in custody of Fradrick’s cousin, before proceeding to Blantyre.
“Nyamula instructed his cousin to distribute the money to different individuals and mobile money accounts and then disposed of the red bag in a toilet.”
Chigalu said after intensive investigations and follow-ups, the station detectives managed to trace Nyamula and was subsequently arrested and recover part of the stolen money (K2.174 million).
Police have intensified efforts to trace and arrest Fradrick’s accomplice, Khonya Makina and meanwhile, Nyamula will appear in court soon to answer theft charges.
Nicknamed Angozo amongst his peers, Fradrick hails from Chimbulu Village, Traditional Authority Machinjiri in Blantyre.
The CCTV footage went viral on social media showing Nyamula continuously surveying the vehicle after he parked his Honda Fit next to the X-Trail. He tried to open the passenger door but was unsuccessful.
His accomplice circled around the car park before parking a vehicle away from the X-Trail. The unsuspecting victim is seen through the CCTV footage exiting the bank carrying a red bag and Nyamula immediately followed him out while seen with his phone to his ear.
As the unsuspecting victim reversed from the park slot, Nyamula hides himself by pretending to enter the Honda Fit from the front passenger door and immediately rushed to also reverse and follow the red X-Trail.
Shopping mall car parks are known to harbour criminals, who ambush unsuspecting victims especially those that have just exited banks. These criminals have accomplices who keep tab on who has withdrawn a lot of money and follow them out.
A source, who declined to be named, gave bank management an advice that their CCTV officers should continually monitor their banking halls of people who are just loitering in the bank halls.
“I believe banking halls are accommodating criminals who just pretend to be filling forms but keeping a sharp eye on customers who are withdrawing cash,” he said, while also advising the public to always be on the alert.
“When I withdraw cash, I don’t rush straight to my car but I survey who is interested in me and make several detours in crowded areas to see if I am being followed.
“I then reroute back to the bank and immediately retrace my footsteps to see if I can spot a familiar face on my detour route before going to my car, in which I lock myself in before driving off.”
Advertisement
Our source further said, he keeps checking his rear view mirror all the way to his destination, and when by chance he reaches a roundabout, he drives around it twice before taking his direction.
Customers are also robbed of their valuables from their cars at shopping malls car parks and in an effort to tighten security around Chichiri Shopping Centre in Blantyre and its surrounding area, ICON Properties Plc has committed to provide a Police Unit office facility — currently under construction towards the underground carpark entrance for Game Stores.
Though there is plenty security provided by private firms at the Chichiri Shopping Mall, complete with a watchtower, the robbers identify a vulnerable vehicle; park their car next to it and pretend to be chatting while one attempts to open it using multiple keys they keep.
The guards would spot them but believe that friends have met each other by chance parked next to each other and would chat and drive off while another would saunter into Shoprite or Game Stores like they going for shopping.
Thus the landlord, ICON Properties responded to the request from the office of the Regional Commissioner of Police, who asked for such space at the area to build the Police Unit.
Making the announcement last month, ICON Properties and Eris Properties Chief Executive Officer, Ellen Chapinduka Nyasulu said being a business that is into providing accommodation solutions, it was only proper for them to consider the social need, which would provide symbiotic benefits to both the patrons of the mall as well as the surrounding areas from a security perspective.
“As ICON Properties and Eris Properties management, we are committed to ensuring that there is enough security for our tenants and the shoppers,” she had said. “We noted that our law enforcers observed some security challenge which was being faced around Chichiri area and wanted to step up their presence therein.
“However, what they lacked was accommodation, that’s when we came up with this initiative to have a police unit within the premise to allow the law enforcers provide security at a large scale.
Chichiri Shopping Mall
“We want to ensure that Chichiri area, including the shoppers at the mall, the sporting fraternity for the stadium have a great and secure experience. Beyond providing security at the malls, we believe it is our responsibility as corporate citizen to hold hands with government efforts for a safe Malawi for all.”
ICON Properties also notified its Chichiri Shopping Mall tenants in November that it intends to introduce car park management system to promote safe, efficient and orderly use of the car park.
When implemented, the car park management system is expected to discourage abuse including speeding motorist passers-by and use of the car park by non-customers.
During weekends — when they are football matches at the neighbouring Kamuzu Stadium — fans park at the mall and in the almost 3 hours they are at the stadium, the car park gets congested — denying customers chance to shop.
Most shoppers who know the trend, prefer to use alternative supermarkets than their preferred Shoprite and Game Stores, which also has an underground car park, but it too is used by non-shoppers such as the football fans.
The mall’s other tenants are bank branches, mobile phone service providers, pharmacies, technology shops, bookshop, dentist, boutiques and restaurants, including KFC — housed in a recently constructed structure.
Managed by Afribrand, the stately KFC restaurant includes the much-sought after Drive-In service, which takes few minutes from point of order though an intercom, to the paying cubicle and finally the food handover cubicle.
Most times when the neighbouring Masauko Chipembere Highway roundabout is congested, motorists approaching from Kwacha roundabout branch into the mall’s car park through access to Puma service station.
Most of them — especially minibuses drivers from Limbe who cut into road to Kwacha and branch to the mall — overspeed as they rush to rejoin Masauko Chipembere Highway.
Advertisement